


Proposal Eyes

by themoistplinth



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 2 Years Ahead of Canon, Fluff, Keith is romantic, M/M, Proposals, The opposite of slowburn, this is an AngstFreeZone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-08 16:36:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11085600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themoistplinth/pseuds/themoistplinth
Summary: They say when two people are in love all they want to do is get married, and a huge part of that is the proposal. The moment that one of the two lays their heart bare and allows the other to keep it whole or shatter it in two.So of course, Lance and Keith being Lance and Keith both have to try to outdo each other, and the two idiots propose simultaneously-quickly the race is on to propose the best and spend the rest of their lives together.





	1. Chapter 1

Drifting through space, it’s difficult to obtain certain things; it’s difficult to get replacement clothes or shampoo or books or even simple things like blankets sometimes. Planets with free civilisation were few and far between but these planets tended to be a welcome respite and a peaceful time for the members of Team Voltron. They could stock up on supplies and any luxury they needed, using whatever money they could scrounge together off of the measly rewards occasionally bestowed on them by the people or places that they rescued from Zarkon’s clutches.   


It took Keith 2 Altean time cycles to save enough money for what he was buying that day, far down on a world that had prospered despite the tyranny that was Zarkon. In a dazzling square of shining buildings and sparkling fountains Keith found a shop that sold what he was looking for; somehow the custom of engagement rings was something that even alien races valued. Valued a lot.   


Holy quiznak, that was a lot of money.   


“I can see from your vacant expression this _particular_ piece may be out of your price range?” The dealer behind the counter sniffed, his flaccid, paper-like skin rising and falling with his steady breathing. Its hair resembled a mop and its eyes, or lack thereof, kept Keith on edge. It would be fine if the rest of the planet shared this particular dealer’s appearance but unfortunately, no other creature seemed to even slightly resemble the paper-man’s ugly exterior.   


“I can afford it,” Keith lied, “It’s just not right for us. Do you have anything in a red?”

  
The dealer curled what looked like its lip and bowed in a mocking impression of respect as it shuffled to another case, “We do not usually sell such…tacky items in this establishment,” it said curtly, “Fortunately for you, we have had an error in one of our shipments from the Arcinian Mines and had to make do with cheap diamond rather than the valuable Clear Quartz we would normally use,” the dealer spat on the floor and the pale skin began to inflate like a plastic bag caught on an air vent, “Good for nothing workmen won’t even refund our money ,filthy swine, not even fit to carve the rock they’re surrounded by, the things I ought to…” the dealer trailed off before sniffing and regaining his flat, snooty composure, “My apologies. As I am sure you can imagine we are eager to remove the items from our possession and so offer them at a discount. Here is out selection”.

  
Keith looked over the rings, each tiny gem intricately carved to make a beautiful gleam shine across the room in a rainbow of colours from a rainbow of different diamond colours. The diamond on every single of the rings presented was pure perfection, fit for a king or an emperor rather than a marital ceremony.   


“How much?” Keith said barely able to keep the desperation for one of the rings from his voice. The dealer scribbled a number on a piece of paper, his slack face one of slack shame.

  
“Do not judge me harshly for the amount written,” the dealer moaned, “We are so desperate to remove these from our presence that we would offer such a small sum to one like you”. Keith waited to hear an apology for the jibe but when none came he simply unfolded the piece of paper-the number written was big. Expected, and manageable, but big.   


“I’ll take one,” Keith said in mock disappointment, pulling out his purse, “You take change or card?”

  
“Card only,” sniffed the dealer indignantly, “What kind of an establishment do you take us for?”

  
“I only got change,” Keith stated.

  
“Change will do,” sighed the dealer, taking the bag of coins that Keith slid across the counter and swapping it with a box containing a single, red ring, “I hope you and your betrothed are…content together.”   


Keith shot the dealer a look and walked out of the shop wordlessly, the door clicking shut behind him. For a full two minutes the dealer sat in shame, disgust boiling inside at his most recent sale, before the door clicked open again and a gangly figure walked in with a nervous smirk and dark skin.   


“Hey,” it said, rubbing the back of its head sheepishly, “You sell engagement rings right? Got anything in blue?”  


***  


“It’s beautiful, and I’m flattered,” Shiro said in hushed awe, “But I don’t think it’d be appropriate if I married you Keith, Lance would be devastated.”   


“Ass,” Keith muttered, “You know full well it’s for him”.

  
Shiro’s eyes gleamed proudly and he smiled at the smaller boy as they sat together in the control room, Keith’s eyes not leaving the red gem for even a moment, “I think it’s beautiful Keith, he’s going to love it.”   


Keith let out a breath of air he didn’t know he’d been holding, “I’ve waited an entire year to buy this thing,” he murmured, more to himself than to Shiro, “And even longer to decide that I wanted to.”   


“So when’re you going to give it to him?” Shiro asked plainly, “You have any noble, grand gesture lined up or a small, simple thing.”   


“I was thinking of giving it to him later,” Keith said sheepishly, “I told him to meet me on one of the observation decks. I didn’t wanna make a big deal of it…”

  
Shiro nodded, “It’s more true to who you are Keith. Owning that will show Lance who he’s in love with better than anything else.”   


“You know you’ve been giving that exact advice since we first formed Voltron right?”  


“I didn’t think anyone had noticed,” Shiro admitted, “So you’re just going to be waiting for him up there like this or will there be flowers? I’m sure Coran would sing for you.”   


“This isn’t all I bought back out there at the city,” Keith started unsure, “I sort of bought a suit…” he coughed, “Nothing special, just a two piece, bowtie-”

  
“If it has a bowtie it’s a tuxedo, not a suit,” Coran interrupted, placing his hands on Keith’s shoulders making Keith jump. Shiro stayed, unsurprisingly, motionless. Somehow the other man had managed to move behind the two of them without being noticed, “Hunk told me that when describing your Earth ritual of ‘Prom’.”

  
“How long were you standing there?” Keith moaned.   


“Long enough to know congratulations are in order!” Coran grinned, “In Altean culture we would celebrate for five days and five nights without rest, dining only the finest Cheep-Sacks and drinking naught but Berulian Mozztov!”   


“He’s making that up,” Allura stated from beside Coran, making Keith jump again. He almost let go of the ring and quickly slammed its box shut, protecting the precious future held within it.   


“Okay Hunk and Pidge, if you’re here, come out right now!” Keith demanded. He paused for a moment and, when no one made a noise, sighed in relief, “You two shouldn’t eavesdrop on people like that”.   


“We were in here before you were,” Allura stated curtly.   


“I waved and you didn’t wave back,” Coran frowned, “I assumed you were having one of, what Lance calls your, ‘Emo Moments’. I assume that’s short for emotional, and I must be right! Congratulations are in order indeed.”   


Keith groaned, “Do not tell anyone else,” he muttered, “Especially not Lance. This has to be a surprise to him.”   


The other three laughed and promised not to tell, although Coran did so with crossed fingers and a knowing smirk. Before they could begin to interrogate him on his plans Keith left swiftly to ready himself for the evening. He knew Lance would be doing the same, as the boy took hours for even just a regular date, but as tonight was special Keith decided he’d try something more. He’d even considered a haircut but he would came to the conclusion he’d never be forgiven-his black locks were Lance’s plaything, not something Keith had control over.   


Keith gave a quick glance to the clock Pidge had made for him and anxiously tapped his foot; Lance would be up at the star-deck, it was far too early to go now. Only an idiot would go for a date that soon.

  
Keith checked himself over a final time in the mirror and headed up to the deck.

***

The next twenty minutes were the some of the longest of Keith’s life waiting for Lance-whom, of course, ended up arriving early too. He was wearing his standard outfit of a hoodie covered in a jacket. To anyone else it would seem like Lance was trying to just be casual, or didn’t care about the date, but Keith had spent enough time to see the difference; his hoodie was unusually free of fluff and his trousers seemed freshly pressed. Even his hair was neatly brushed and carefully messed up to create the perfect image.

  
Keith looked down at the measly assembly of blankets and flowers he’d laid down on the floor and a dozen dark thoughts ran through his head-he pushed them aside and focused on attempting to smile in a way that wouldn’t make him seem like a nervous mess.   


Lance looked around the room nervously and saw Keith, standing beautiful; the shining beauty of space behind Keith was nothing in Lance’s eyes when the other stood in front of it. Lance’s eyes trailed up and done Keith, the magnificent tuxedo only further defining his features.   


“I feel underdressed,” Lance murmured as he moved his way to Keith, pressing a soft kiss onto his cheek, “Any reason you’re wearing such a fancy dress-up or did you just wanna look good for me?”   


Keith’s cheeks flushed and he coughed awkwardly, “There is a reason actually,” he muttered, raising his voice boldly he continued, “The time we’ve spent together…it’s been the best of my life Lance. I know I haven’t told you much about back home…about Earth. But you didn’t try to push me and I-I appreciate that”.   


Lance grinned and hit Keith playfully on the arm, “Don’t worry about it, you know I don’t care about then.”

  
“You care about now,” Keith smiled to himself, “I just…I didn’t expect to be treated so well by you. And we’ve been out forming Voltron for so long that I can’t help but think about the future.” Keith gazed into Lance’s eyes and saw himself, standing awkward and uncomfortable in his suit, saw himself red and sweating and trembling. He looked so small and afraid and alone.   


“I think about that too,” Lance admitted, his hands eyes not leaving Keith’s for a moment, “I mean how long until Zarkon is defeated? Or even then until we can go home? Out here in space we have to make do with what we have…”   


Lance’s hands trailed down his leg and his hand slipped into his pocket, as if finding something. His face was flush with worry and his eyebrows were narrowed in deep thought-the way he always looked when he was about to say something important. Like he had when he’d finally asked Keith out.

  
_Face flush, eyebrows narrow, hair wet, face burnt. Grinning and muttering. Best mission ever_.

  
“Keith,” Lance murmured, “I need to ask you something…”  


Keith’s eyes widened and he took a step back-he wasn’t was he? That jackass was _not_ gonna get to do this.   


“You are _not_ serious!” Keith exclaimed, “You cannot be about to do this.”   


Lance’s bottom lip trembled and he kept his eyes on Keith, “You-you’re saying no?”   


“I’m not saying no, dipshit!” Keith yelled, his voice lacking in anger yet still powerful enough to echo around the room, “But no way in _hell_ am I gonna let you propose to me!”

  
“Wh-why not?” Lance stammered, his eyes looking hurt and fearful.   


“Because I was gonna propose to you! I can _not_ let you do this!”   


Lance’s face swept with relief immediately, albeit just for a moment, before an arrogant grin took its place, “You were gonna propose to me?” he smirked, “Keith, really, that’s so sweet of you.”

  
“Shut it, you wanted to propose to me, don’t act like I’m the sweet one.”   


“Or what you’ll take your proposal back?” Lance taunted.

  
“I haven’t proposed yet,” Keith snarled, brushing past Lance, “But when I do it’ll be way better than this!”

  
Keith stormed out of the deck, turning the corner past an eavesdropping Hunk and Pidge, and found his way to his room. He fell face first onto the narrow bed and let out a muffled cry of anguish, familiar feelings of frustration rising from his chest and blossoming into intense annoyance at Lance. He felt so aggravated he barely even noticed his door slide open and Shiro sitting gently on his bed.   


“Oh Keith,” he whispered, his voice faraway, “I’m so sorry.”   


“He didn’t say no,” Keith said, his voice muffled and body limp, “He tried to propose to me.”

  
Shiro sat up a little and blinked in confusion, “Where’s the problem with that?”

  
“I was going to propose to him!” Keith shouted into the pillow, the warmth spreading under the fabric and making his already uncomfortable face feel even more out of place.   


“I don’t really see the problem still,” Shiro repeated dumbfounded, “If you wanna marry him-”  


Keith sat up angrily, “The problem is he’s being such a-a…he’s being such a Lance!”   


“He is Lance.”   


“You don’t get it!” Keith cried, “He always has to one up me, he always tries to outdo everything I do any make it all about him! Just this once I wanted to be the one that got to be in control but suddenly he had to do this! It’s just like him!”

  
Shiro shifted uncomfortably where he sat, “I don’t think he did this to annoy you Keith.”  


“That’s not the point! He just,” Keith sighed, feeling some of his anger exhale along with his breath, leaving him tired, “I wanted to do this for him. To not have him one up me, just this once.”   


“Then how about you try to one up him this time,” Shiro said nonchalantly. Keith and stared in shock at Shiro, eyes wide in disbelief, “What, was it something I said?”   


“You never suggest that kind of thing,” Keith blinked, “Aren’t you meant to give me some speech about staying true to myself or doing what is most comfortable for me?”  


“You tried doing what was right for you and you ended up here. I say this time we go all out and make a proposal so amazing Lance will shut up for once.”   


“We?” Keith said nervously.   


“You’re not gonna get to do this alone,” Shiro said firmly, “This time you’re having our help.”   


“Our?” Keith repeated nervously; slowly a panel in the wall slid open, revealing Keith’s wardrobe with the last two free Alteans in the universe crammed in awkwardly. Keith stared angrily at Coran and Allura and they stared pointedly back, “You were just hiding in there?”   


“You were asking Lance to join you in union forever!” Coran stated, “We couldn’t just wait around like a Girosian Pulpae waiting to hatch!”   


“What if we came back here together?” Keith demanded  “You couldn’t know what we’d do in here!”   


“We thought about that and it seemed worth it,” Allura nodded, “Trust me, none of us want to see you and Lance together like that.”   


“We need to sort out the boundaries with people on this ship,” Keith muttered bitterly.   


“That’s not the point,” Shiro said distracted, “Are you gonna let us help you?”   


Keith let out a small breath, “Yes,” he said firmly, “Let’s do it. Lance won’t know what hit him.”


	2. Plan 1

Pidge slammed her ruler into the whiteboard, a loud clack resonating around the room, “This is crisis mode people,” she barked, “We have to try to figure out how to make this boy,” she waved the ruler towards Keith, “Out-romance this one,” she slammed the ruler into a picture of Lance taped to the whiteboard, “All ideas are good ideas people, this is literally the toughest mission Team Voltron has faced yet.”  


Keith groaned and buried his face in his hands-he sat next to Pidge at the front of a small storage room, the other members of his team sitting on cardboard boxes with pens and clipboards and expressions of mock focus-save Lance. Shiro had asked him to untangle the cables behind a console on the Training Deck that he’d taped together a few minutes prior, which would leave him sufficiently distracted for at least an hour.  


“What about if we gave him a makeover?” Hunk suggested with his hand raised in the air, “With Shiro’s eyeliner and Coran’s hair styling we could turn Keith into Lance’s dream.”  


“It would never work, Lance has skin care and foundation down to an art,” Shiro reprimanded, “But that’s a good idea to work off of. What if we disguised Keith so Lance doesn’t see it coming?”  


“Not romantic enough,” Pidge stated, “Come on people I need good ideas, not this!”  


“We could dangle Lance from the rafters whilst Keith performs the Fyarl courting dance! It’s how my grandfather found his mate, the dance shows the pure passion of-”

  
“You recreate when he asked you out, only this time you propose to him,” Allura said flatly, “It’s romantic, nostalgic and leaves a good memory between the two of you.”  


“Anyone gonna beat Allura’s idea?” Pidge asked like a teacher to a class of kindergarteners only to be met with blank stares and complete quiet, “Okay then, Allura wins! We do her idea.”

  
“That might be difficult,” Keith murmured, “He didn’t exactly ask me out at the most…common of times.”  


“How hard can it be?” Pidge said dismissively.  


***  


“Pidge, the eye, aim for the eye!” Shiro barked down his comm, kicking his legs hastily to avoid the tentacle that whipped through the dark water surrounding the mysterious monster toward him.  


“ _How hard can it be_ ,” Keith muttered in a whiny voice, his comms set to private for only Lance to hear, who replied with a short laugh.  


“Bet you I can reach the venom sacs before you,” he grinned, “I did last time didn’t I?”  


“Did you hit your head Lance, you don’t sound like you’re remembering things right!”

  
“You have to work _together_ to get to the sacs,” Shiro reprimanded, “This isn’t the time to be competitive!”  


“Yes,” Coran said woodenly down the comms link from his position firing on the beast from within the Castle, “Now is not the time to fight. We must defeat this beast!”  


Keith silently groaned-he thought if anyone would be able to act it would be the energetic Altean, but his performance was about as convincing as Lance’s ex- girlfriend from Canada.  


A watery screech tore through the water and pierced each Paladin’s focus, leaving them paralysed in pain and fear. The dark water, saturated with the monster’s toxic poison retracted into the creature’s tentacles’ suckers and the horrific face of their foe was revealed; the creature resembled an Earth’s giant squid in only its tentacles and its beak. Beyond that the alien was unlike anything that should occur in the natural world.

  
Where a normal animal would have eyes this _thing_ had what looked like a malformed human belly button, the only difference being this belly button was green and spewed dark acidic poison-this was their target, the thing’s venom sacs. Where the tip of its head should have been the monster’s body spread out and opened into a gaping maw, rows and rows of rotating, eviscerating teeth ready for any foolish boat or ship to cross its path.  


“Pidge, Hunk, distract the thing’s right side,” Shiro commanded, “I’ll take the left. Lance Keith-“ Shiro gave Keith a meaningful glance, “Try to stab it’s venom sacs, like last time.”  


A yellow glow came from Hunk’s direction and his Bayard sparkled to life; he began to fire round after round into the monster, hardly harming it but drawing at least half its attention. Immediately a group of its tentacles swarmed toward Hunk, only to be stopped by Pidge, slicing away at any that came too close.  


“Blocking sound,” Coran said, his voice followed immediately by the loss of the dull and subtle watery noise of the ocean surrounding the Paladins. Keith looked at Lance nervously, hoping that the boy would not sustain the same injuries he did the last time they fought this breed of terror. “Comm links locked open. Good luck out there Paladins!”  


Shiro propelled himself forward through the water, his Galra arm glowing purple. Whilst the creature was distracted with Hunk and Pidge he laid his hand flat against the nearest tentacle and the creature reared back. Its tentacles not occupied with Hunk and Pidge whipped toward Shiro only to be met with his Bayard.  


“Not this time,” Keith heard Shiro say, more to the creature than to any of the others, “Keith, Lance, now!”  


Keith and Lance immediately flew forward through the water and Lance shot Keith a grin. He kicked off of the lone tentacle still trying to defend itself and shot faster through the water, his Bayard activated, ready to burst the venom sacs as soon as he came within range. Keith shook his head and copied him, damned if he’d let Lance win such a dumb contest.  


Keith risked a glance at his team mates; whilst Hunk and Pidge were fine, Shiro was faring less well. The water around him was darkening as the poison seeped out of the creature’s wounds and obscured Shiro’s vision from the tentacle that was quickly snapping towards his head.  


All Keith could do was cry out in alarm as Shiro was too far for him to stop it-he considered throwing his sword but before he could a bolt of sizzling blue energy collided with it and it slithered away from Shiro.  


Keith looked at Lance, stopped in his tracks with a smug grin plastered across his annoying face, still aiming at the tentacles pursuing Shiro.  


“Keith get the sacs,” Lance ordered, “I’ll cover Shiro.”

  
Keith nodded and shot forward, his sword ready to slice any tentacle that crossed his path.  He was a few feet from the sacs, almost within reach, when the monster through its head forward and Keith found himself floating toward not the thing’s disgusting, poison filled sacs, but rather it’s deadly mouth.  


Keith was barely able to pull away at the last moment and, though he avoided the brunt of the attack, his Bayard slid too close to the monster’s mouth and it swallowed the sword whole. As it slid down the giant creature’s throat (or less throat, more its entire body) the Bayard flashed and returned to its smaller, handheld form.  


“Guys,” Keith said nervously, “Bad news.”  


“Oh leave it to Keith to mess up his one, simple job,” Lance muttered.  


“The thing ate my Bayard. I haven’t got any way to kill it.”  


“Well thing of something soon!” Pidge barked down the comms Link, “We can’t keep this up much longer.”  


Keith’s eyes scanned the water around them frantically, hoping for something he could use to stab or shoot or slice the thing with. They were a good twenty feet up from the seabed, which only held the disintegrating bones of the monster’s last victims, so there was nothing Keith could use to attack-he thought desperately about what he had available to him and, when looking at Pidge defending herself, had an idea.  


“Guys,” Keith said, “I’m gonna get this thing to swallow me.”  


“I know it isn’t the time, but I have some really good jokes right now,” Hunk grunted, Pidge having missed part of a tentacle that collided with the yellow paladin’s head.  


“Keith, are you sure?” Shiro said apprehensively. Keith answered Shiro’s question by propelling himself forward through the water, straight at the spinning rows of teeth that would sure destroy anything that came into contact with them.  


At the last moment before collision Keith brought his shield into existence, lodging it strongly into the monster’s mouth. Keith kicked hard against the shield and the impact sent jarring pain up his leg but he ignored it and kicked again. And again. And again. On the fourth strike he felt the creature’s jaw give an agonizing _snap_ and the rows of teeth stopped spinning. That was the positive.  


The negative was that now every tentacle the beast had remaining was directed at the thing that had just broken the monster’s jaw, namely Keith.

  
Keith recalled his shield and swam forward just enough to grab his Bayard from the monster’s mouth and shot himself backwards, away from the sharp teeth but directly into the tentacle that was speeding toward him.  


Keith slammed hard and fast into the tentacle and the world went blurry for a moment. He vaguely heard Lance and Shiro calling out his name as any tentacle smacked into him. Jarred and disoriented, it was all Keith could do to stay conscious.  


He heard jumbled orders commanded down the comms link by Shiro or Pidge or Hunk and floated peacefully, feeling so tired.  


So tired.  


His limbs were too heavy and all he really wanted to do at that moment was let himself float away, sleep all his troubles off.  It was so hard to stay awake…

Keith closed his eyes.  


***  


“…and now you want to carefully apply the ground bone to cut.”  


“How much?”  


“Just enough to cover the sections still discoloured.”  


“Okay and now what?”  


“Well either he’s awake and taking a whole to open his eyes or…”  


Keith groggily murmured a non-distinct phrase and he was immediately grappled by someone with a sob. Keith patted the hugging figure gently.  


“Hey, I’m okay,” Keith said quietly, “Lance I’m okay.” Keith buried his face into the sobbing figure’s shoulder.  


“Uh, Keith,” said another voice, “I’m over here.”  


The hug tightened, “Don’t ever scare us like that again,” sniffed Hunk. Eventually he was let go and Lance draped himself over Keith in a similar way, holding him tightly enough to convey his worry, but not enough to cause further damage (a lesson Hunk could learn).  


“Keith,” Lance murmured, “That was…never do something that dumb ever again.”  


Keith petted Lance’s hair sympathetically, “I’ll do my best,” he smiled, earning a purr in return.  


“Listen,” Lance said, straightening slightly, “Seeing you injured like that…it got me thinking. About our future…”  


Keith’s eyes widened, out of sight of the cuddling Lance, who had his face still buried in Keith’s chest; he gave a frantic look to Shiro, trying as hard as he could to not move as he did so, as to not disturb Lance, which was mercifully understood by Shiro.  


“Okay team, Keith needs to rest,” Shiro said, cutting across Lance’s speech. Shiro placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder and subtly pulled him back. Lance began to protest but Shiro held up his hand for silence. “Whatever you have to say to him, you can say tomorrow,” Shiro stated. Lance pouted, turned, kissed Keith’s forehead, murmured a goodnight and stalked out the room.  


Keith let out a sigh, “Thanks Shiro,” he smiled. Shiro placed a friendly hand on Keith’s forehead. Together he and Hunk helped lift Keith into a healing pod and Allura, by the control panel, began the sequence of closing it.  


“Well help you plan your next step when you wake up,” Shiro smiled and Keith, again, found himself drifting off into unconsciousness.

**Author's Note:**

> There's more coming, and you better bet these two will be engaged before long.


End file.
